The ability to deal with language delays in children in Eindhoven is under pressure. Due to a national budget cut of three million euros, the city’s children who have language delays, will soon not be able to get as much good help. The council and primary schools have labelled the cuts as disastrous.
At the moment, primary schools, child care facilities and playgroups in Eindhoven work closely together. Aid agencies identify children with language delays and they are helped to overcome these delays. Many years have been invested in this approach, and this successful method is now being placed in jeopardy.
According to Eindhoven Councillor Visscher and Angelica Bus of Salto, the umbrella organisation for schools, the budget cut means children, including toddlers, will no longer be as well guided. “Toddlers, especially, will be enrolled soon, but the necessary personal attention needed to improve the lag in their language will be lacking”, she said.
At the moment there is a generous 9 million euro available for this work. A small part of it is financed by the municipality. If it is up to Den Haag, this amount will be reduced by 3 million euro next year.
Source: studio040
Translator: Melinda
